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'Call of Juarez' Video Game Draws Criticism for Glorifying Mexico's Cartel Violence

by Amar Toor on February 18, 2011 at 02:00 PM

'call of juarez: the cartel'A new video game that invites players to virtually participate in Mexico's ongoing cartel war has drawn criticism for glorifying the country's devastating gang violence.

According to game developer Ubisoft, 'Call of Juarez: The Cartel' asks players to "take the law into (their) own hands" on a "bloody road trip from Los Angeles to Juarez" -- the Mexican city that has been ravaged by cartel-fueled murders. The game won't be released until this summer, but its teaser graphics feature stylized assassins dressed in Stetsons and flak vests, carrying shotguns and Kalashnikovs -- a popular weapon among Mexican hitmen.

Details on the game are scarce, but some are already concerned about the message it might send to younger players. "Lots of kids say they want to be a hitman, because they are the ones that get away with everything," said Laurencio Barraza, a youth worker at the Independent Popular Organization in Juarez, where more than 3,000 people were murdered last year. " This glorifies violence, as if victims were just another number or another bonus."

Gomecindo Lopez, a County Sheriff commander from nearby El Paso, Texas, added that 'Call of Juarez' could give a woefully inaccurate representation of Mexico's cartel saga. "In games you get hurt, you die and you get another life. In real life, you only die once," Lopez said. " This goes along the lines of narco-songs that portray cartel leaders as heroes, but both are a gross misrepresentation of who they are. They are criminals."

Ubisoft, however, claims that its newest game can provide users with a "unique" gaming experience, adding that its cinematic violence provides a safe cushion between fiction and reality. " Call of Juarez the Cartel is purely fictional and developed by the team at Techland for entertainment purposes only," a Ubisoft spokesperson told Reuters. "While Call of Juarez the Cartel touches on subjects relevant to current events in Juarez, it does so in a fictional manner that makes the gaming experience feel more like being immersed in an action-movie than in a real-life situation."

Tags: Call Of Juarez, CallOfJuarez, Cartel, Controversy, Crime, El Paso, ElPaso, Gaming, Gangs, Juarez, Mexico, Politics, Top, Ubisoft, Videogames, Violence, Violent Video Games, ViolentVideoGames

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